White97Jimmy
Expresso - Frickin' 81
Well, after a good 3 weeks of resting, I finally found a perfect weather day to roast this stick. Extra special thank you to BP22 - you really knew how to make my month! I have been waiting patiently to try this one out since it was announced. I couldn't believe that one actually showed up in my mailbox!
Here we go:
Pre-light: Construction on this was excellent. Very well rolled, looked very pleasing to the eye. The pearl white/silver band compliments this stick nicely. A gentle squeeze of the stick; it's firm and springs back to its original shape. Clip and pre-draw are perfect. I used my Havana cutter on this stick. Pre-light taste is mildly sweet and like hay.
Toast and roast: Lights just like a cigar should. I used my table torch (like I do most of the time). A quick purge and draw and this smoke gives a smooth taste, with a bit of pepper. A bit more bland than I thought it would be, but this is only the first draw...I'm still excited to get this thing moving. First few draws are pretty much the same. This stick starts mild/med, but does deliver a small peppery taste, with a sweet ending.
First third: Right off the bat, this thing starts burning uneven. I am very disappointed and getting a bit frustrated....staring at this thing, I can't believe what is happening. Despite the burn, I keep on trucking and focus on the taste. The smoke is not heavy at all. I really wish this would pump out a bit more smoke. It becomes a medium bodied taste now, leaving the mild behind. Still a sweet taste, with a tiny toasty tang at the end. If this taste was a bit heavier, it would be a really good smoke. It continues to burn uneven, and I had to correct it twice to prevent it from a full disaster.
Second third: Ashed and touched up...Still the same taste as the first part of this smoke. So far, this has been a very one-dimensional smoke. My excitement is dying down, and this smoke is becoming way more work than it should be. Same taste, same amount of smoke. I actually had a double draw on this thing to get any decent amount of smoke a few times. However, things are looking up a bit, as the burn is starting to look like it is evening out.
Last third: This was the best part of the whole smoke. I ashed again, and didn't need to touch up this time. Smoke was heavier, thick and white. A full-on sweet, dark chocolate like flavor stood out the most. A background of hints of coffee were also apparent. If the whole smoke would have been like this, I would have been very pleased. Unfortunately, this part of the stick was the only "great" part of it.
Finish: Typical CAO finish. The flavor lasted about 20 minutes or so. I walked inside and decided to not judge the ViSion with one try.
Final thoughts and ratings:
Construction: 9/10 - had a great firm construction
Draw: 9/10 - good solid draw - not too tight/not too loose
Burn: 6/10 - only got this high of a rating because it finally burned well the last third
Taste: 7.5/10 - best part of the cigar was the last third. Needs a better start.
Try again?: Yes...I would try it again. I honestly believe if it had a good burn, it would have been way more enjoyable. I would have to smoke about 3-4 of these before I would pass on these.
Worth the money?: Can't say yet. I don't know how much these will cost. If it stays within the limits of their other cigars ($5-$7) then probably. If it goes any higher than $9/stick, I would say try it just to say you tried it. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't something that made me want to beg them to get these on the shelves ASAP.
I will rate this again as soon as I am able to find more. Would love to hear your comments.
Here we go:
Pre-light: Construction on this was excellent. Very well rolled, looked very pleasing to the eye. The pearl white/silver band compliments this stick nicely. A gentle squeeze of the stick; it's firm and springs back to its original shape. Clip and pre-draw are perfect. I used my Havana cutter on this stick. Pre-light taste is mildly sweet and like hay.
Toast and roast: Lights just like a cigar should. I used my table torch (like I do most of the time). A quick purge and draw and this smoke gives a smooth taste, with a bit of pepper. A bit more bland than I thought it would be, but this is only the first draw...I'm still excited to get this thing moving. First few draws are pretty much the same. This stick starts mild/med, but does deliver a small peppery taste, with a sweet ending.
First third: Right off the bat, this thing starts burning uneven. I am very disappointed and getting a bit frustrated....staring at this thing, I can't believe what is happening. Despite the burn, I keep on trucking and focus on the taste. The smoke is not heavy at all. I really wish this would pump out a bit more smoke. It becomes a medium bodied taste now, leaving the mild behind. Still a sweet taste, with a tiny toasty tang at the end. If this taste was a bit heavier, it would be a really good smoke. It continues to burn uneven, and I had to correct it twice to prevent it from a full disaster.
Second third: Ashed and touched up...Still the same taste as the first part of this smoke. So far, this has been a very one-dimensional smoke. My excitement is dying down, and this smoke is becoming way more work than it should be. Same taste, same amount of smoke. I actually had a double draw on this thing to get any decent amount of smoke a few times. However, things are looking up a bit, as the burn is starting to look like it is evening out.
Last third: This was the best part of the whole smoke. I ashed again, and didn't need to touch up this time. Smoke was heavier, thick and white. A full-on sweet, dark chocolate like flavor stood out the most. A background of hints of coffee were also apparent. If the whole smoke would have been like this, I would have been very pleased. Unfortunately, this part of the stick was the only "great" part of it.
Finish: Typical CAO finish. The flavor lasted about 20 minutes or so. I walked inside and decided to not judge the ViSion with one try.
Final thoughts and ratings:
Construction: 9/10 - had a great firm construction
Draw: 9/10 - good solid draw - not too tight/not too loose
Burn: 6/10 - only got this high of a rating because it finally burned well the last third
Taste: 7.5/10 - best part of the cigar was the last third. Needs a better start.
Try again?: Yes...I would try it again. I honestly believe if it had a good burn, it would have been way more enjoyable. I would have to smoke about 3-4 of these before I would pass on these.
Worth the money?: Can't say yet. I don't know how much these will cost. If it stays within the limits of their other cigars ($5-$7) then probably. If it goes any higher than $9/stick, I would say try it just to say you tried it. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't something that made me want to beg them to get these on the shelves ASAP.
I will rate this again as soon as I am able to find more. Would love to hear your comments.